Winery - Joseph Phelps
* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Rich and concentrated, with well developed flavors of plums and blackberries and a spicy, peppery streak. Very dry, with stylish, ripe and fine tannins, and enough acidity for balance. This wine feels distinguished enough for the best tables.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Opens with aromas of black cherry and pencil lead, fruitcake and cookie dough; now it’s all one big melange wrapped a bit tight. The balance and immense depth of fruit shine, even in this unevolved state. Standard dark-plum and chocolate notes are rendered with uncommon subtlety here. The finish goes on and on. Needs four to six years, but will last and last.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Attention to detail shows in the intensity of the currant and cassis flavors, the elaborately crafted tannins, and the vibrant edge of acidity. It’s not an ager, but is as good a representative of 2000 Napa Cabernet as you’ll find.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
This offering from one of California’s Syrah pioneers seems a touch tannic and earthy, but also features sturdy blackberry fruit and a creamy mouthfeel.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Impeccably structured. Has those brilliant Napa tannins that are as finely knit as a medieval tapestry, and a bit of a scour from acidity. Oak adds gentle complexities. It’s a little light, though. With this weight and density, you want more fruity concentration.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Brings a whole new dimension to Merlot by adding flair and nuance to the usual well-ripened plum and blackberry flavors. Here, kirsch, cassis and dark chocolate mingle together in rich, delicate but complex tannins to forge a wine of interest and longevity.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Napa Valley and Sauvignon Blanc aren’t always the best combination, but this is a superior wine that shows how a great winery can perform when it takes things seriously. With 10% Semillon, barrel fermented and aged sur lees, it’s a marvelously complicated wine, dry and crisp in acids, with impressive citrus, peach and honeysuckle flavors.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
A dense, layered wine, marked by pure cassis flavors. Picks up intensity in the middle palate, where it turns rich and compelling. Harmony and elegance, not to mention ageability, mark this expression of Cabernet. Editors’ Choice. —S.H.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Delicious and beguiling, with something for everyone. The mélange of fruity-spicy flavors is touched with subtle herb and oak notes in a silky texture. This Rhône-style blend of Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre and others is the ideal food wine.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
You have to count this as another great Insignia, dry and complex and ageworthy, although the tannins are fierce now, and it may lack just a bit of the glamor of, say, the 2004 or 2001. It’s certainly a big wine that floods the mouth with blackberry, black currant, cassis and new oak flavors. The tannins and acids make it aloof, resistant, tough. It wants time in the cellar. Best after 2013. Production was a hefty 13,500 cases.
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